HCI /depot
HCI/Depot is a digital archive showcasing innovative capstone projects by graduate students in IU’s HCI/d program. I built this collection to centralize posters, documentation, and prototypes, providing easy access to years of creative and impactful design solutions created by HCI students.
HCI /depot: A digital archive for student capstone projects at IUB.
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Lack of a Centralized Resource for Capstone Projects
Every year, final-year students in the HCI program work on capstone projects, but there has never been a centralized digital archive to store and showcase past projects. Existing materials like physical posters and scattered PDF documents were difficult to access, making it challenging for students to find inspiration or reference previous work.
Frustrated with the difficulty of finding resources for my own capstone project, I took the initiative to create a centralized digital archive for future students. Using CollectionBuilder, Jekyll, and Ruby, I developed HCI/Depot—a platform to collect, digitize, and showcase past capstone projects. The archive organizes documentation, posters, and prototypes into a searchable and accessible format, making it easier for students to explore and draw inspiration for their own work.
Created a metadata application profile to plan metadata
design
specifications for hci /depot.
Example metdata record (left) and metadata profile (right)
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Building an Accessible and Organized Capstone Archive
Created a single, organized archive for digitizing physical posters, staggered PDFs, and other capstone materials.
Designed metadata fields for easier browsing, searching, and grouping based on project types, themes, and user groups.
Developed the platform using CollectionBuilder, Jekyll, and Ruby to ensure an intuitive and seamless user experience.
Made capstone resources accessible online to inspire students, assist faculty, and attract prospective researchers.
Implemented standardized vocabularies for themes, industries, and user groups to ensure consistency and relevance.
Converted physical archives into digital assets, preserving the legacy of past projects and expanding their accessibility.
Home Page (Left) and Browse Projects Page (Right)
Browse by Filters' Wordclouds (Left) and Project detail page (Right)
Digging through old archives and exploring physical posters from past students was not only fun but also deeply inspiring. I learned a lot about the diversity of ideas and approaches that previous students brought to their capstone projects. This process not only helped me refine my technical skills in building a digital archive but also gave me valuable insights and inspiration for my own capstone project. 😊